Griswold v. Connecticut

In 1965, the United States Supreme Court decided Griswold v. Connecticut, striking down a state law that had prohibited the use of contraceptives. The case arose after Estelle Griswold, executive director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, was convicted for providing contraceptive advice to married couples. The Court ruled that the law unconstitutionally intruded upon marital privacy.

Writing for the majority, Justice William O. Douglas held that the Constitution protected a right to privacy implied by several of its guarantees, securing the freedom of married couples to make decisions about contraception with their physicians. The ruling established a constitutional right to privacy that proved foundational, and it was later extended in subsequent cases to unmarried individuals. Griswold became a landmark in reproductive rights and in the broader recognition of personal liberty.